


Another Year Around the Sun

by Child_Of_Peace



Series: Lemongrass and Sleep [3]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Autistic Vanya Hargreeves, Because when do I not write her as autistic, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Family, Fluff, Happy Birthday Hargreeves Siblings, Other, Prisms-Verse, The Siblings are kind of barely there though, Though it can be read as a stand alone with minor confusion on your part, Vanya Hargreeves-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:28:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26759464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Child_Of_Peace/pseuds/Child_Of_Peace
Summary: (Though it feels like life has just begun.)---Vanya celebrates her 31st birthday with Sissy and Harlan in Scotland 2020 (As part of my In Glass Prisms universe).
Relationships: Harlan Cooper & Vanya Hargreeves, Sissy Cooper & Vanya Hargreeves, Sissy Cooper/Vanya Hargreeves, The Hargreeves Family
Series: Lemongrass and Sleep [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1874509
Comments: 8
Kudos: 65





	Another Year Around the Sun

**Author's Note:**

> Guys, please send lots of love to rainbowgecko, who beta read this at last minute with very little warning in spite of being tired from uni! She absolutely deserves it!!!
> 
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> 
> Happy Birthday to all of the Hargreeves siblings!
> 
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> 
> I will admit, I panic-wrote this starting last night because I forgot what day it was... My bad!
> 
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> 
> Hope you all enjoy (and hope I actually upload this before 1st October is over)!

\---

_Song of Years:_

_Another year around the sun,_

_Though it feels like life has just begun._

_Of all the things I got to do,_

_The best by far was loving you._

_Songs of the Caedyrae_ , Caedyro Isthae

\---

Vanya awoke to the gentle tapping of rain against her window. She was unsurprised that Sissy was gone from the bed; her girlfriend liked to be up at half six to check on the chickens and make coffee for the two farmhands they’d employed. Vanya rolled onto her back, stretching her arms above her head and reached over to her nightstand to unplug her phone. She couldn’t help but smile at her lock screen photo, a picture of her with Sissy and Harlan buried in blankets, all laughing mirthfully, eyes bright and smiles wide.

Vanya allowed herself a minute to reminisce on that morning, the warmth and love she had felt holding her girlfriend and their son in her arms. The happiness that had radiated from them both when a tickle fight had broken out, happiness that she had never seen from either of them back in Texas.

She quickly glanced at the time; it was a quarter to seven. She sighed, pulling herself out of bed. At seven on the dot, she emerged from the bathroom, freshly showered and ready for the day. She propped open the bedroom door as she moved to go downstairs. She knocked on Harlan’s door, slowly pushing it open. Harlan’s bed was made, his pyjamas strewn on the floor. Mr Pickles was gone from his bedside table and his school uniform was no longer draped over the back of his desk chair.

Mildly confused, she walked down the stairs, drawn by the sound of squealing laughter emanating from the kitchen. Stood in the doorway, she grinned at the sight that met her. Harlan was sat on the counter next to the stove where Sissy was cooking pancakes, classical music playing in the background. The sleeves of Harlan’s green school jumper were pulled up to his elbows, his hands covered in flour, a grin stretched across his face. Vanya watched as Sissy leaned over to press a kiss to the top of Harlan’s head.

Harlan’s gaze darted around the room, his smile growing impossibly wider as he caught sight of Vanya. He jumped down from the countertop and ran the short distance to stand in front of Vanya. He clapped his hands together twice then pushed them forwards from his waist, palms up, and moved them apart. Vanya smiled brightly, touching the tips of her fingers to her chin and pulling them away in response. _Thank you_ , she mouthed. Harlan attached himself to her side, allowing her to wrap her arm around his shoulders and shepherd him further into the kitchen.

Sissy had turned around to watch the scene unfold, a soft expression on her face. ‘Happy birthday, Vanya.’ Sissy said, stepping forward to chastely kiss her girlfriend. Vanya leaned into her, pushing their foreheads together when Sissy pulled back slightly. Harlan slipped from Vanya’s side as she moved away from Sissy. ‘We were hoping to have the pancakes fully cooked before you came down, but we’ve only got a couple more to cook. Why don’t you go sit down at the table, and Harlan will bring you your presents and cards?’ Sissy suggested, reaching out to squeeze Vanya’s hand.

Over the past two weeks, Vanya had received letter after letter in the post. (She had also sent out several birthday cards, which she’d been assured her siblings had got.)

Harlan placed the pile of cards in front of her. She took the first one from the top. Ironically, it was Luther’s card, with a pea on the front reading “Happea Birthday”. The card which Klaus had sent was a sketch of the two of them hugging with the caption “Klaus and Vanny” (Vanya made a point to frame that one). Five’s was simple, as though he hadn’t really known what to write, though he had included a rare photograph of the two of them aged 8 which he had found in one of his books. Diego’s included a joke about how the two of them were now the youngest of the siblings (now separated by a month) and therefore the best, and Allison’s was full of affection with a drawing by Claire tucked into the envelope. Vanya loved them all.

After she read each card, she passed them on to Harlan who flipped through them readily. She had a card from mum too, and Tia (she still felt weird calling her mama, much to Tatiana’s disappointment). When Harlan handed her a present, however, she was surprised. She had never been given a proper present on her birthday before, not really.

She thought back to her childhood birthdays. Mum always baked the seven of them a huge cake, and every year they had fought over who got to blow out the candles (Vanya and Ben had sat back quietly, not wanting to get involved). Mum would also get them little trinkets (Dad wouldn’t allow anything more) and the day, like most others in a household of competitive siblings, would quickly devolve into an argument. No one would really notice when Vanya would slip out of the room to hide away with a book or, when she was a little older, her violin. No one, that is, except Ben. Ben would half-heartedly join in the fight, but would eventually grow tired of the conflict and curl up at the foot of Vanya’s bed, content to listen to his quiet sister.

And once she had moved out, she had been on her own. Even last year, she and her siblings had decided not to do presents, but rather to put their money into a pot to do something together as a family (not that she had a problem with that, she had loved the idea). But an actual present, wrapped and solely for her? This was something she had not anticipated.

She carefully peeled back the Sellotape, unfolding the wrapping paper. Inside was a wooden picture frame, clearly painted by the boy himself with three pieces of wood glued on, spelling out the word “Mum”. The photo inside the frame was one that Sissy had taken on Harlan’s first day of school of Vanya and Harlan stood outside the house, cheeks pressed together.

Vanya stared at it. Harlan was watching her in careful anticipation. ‘This is beautiful, come here.’ She said, pulling Harlan into a hug. ‘I love it, I love you.’ He clapped excitedly, pressing his forehead into her temple.

Sissy walked in, having finished making the pancakes, and put a plate in front of Vanya. ’He’s been working on it for the last few weeks, his teachers helped him with the hot glue gun and sourcing the letters, but everything else he did himself. He was so excited to give it to you.’ Sissy informed her, moving round to her own chair. Harlan went to sit down too, but not before handing her one last present. ‘This one’s from me,’ Sissy said as Vanya unwrapped the paper. She smiled when she saw what was inside. ‘I know it’s not really much, but you’ve said you wanted a polarising filter for your camera for a while now.’

‘It’s perfect. Exactly what I wanted, thank you.’ Vanya spoke softly. She was surprised her girlfriend even remembered her mentioning it; it had just been a throwaway comment out of frustration a couple of months prior.

She could already tell this would be the best birthday of her life so far.

\---

As much as Vanya wished she’d had the day off, her birthday fell on a Thursday this year. That meant school for Harlan, a couple of uni classes for Sissy and work for Vanya.

So she allowed the morning routine they’d fallen into to run its course, Sissy dropping first Harlan, then Vanya off in Stirling town centre before driving off to her 9am lab at Falkirk campus.

When Vanya had arrived at the music department, she greeted her colleagues with a quiet hello and moved to set up her violin in the small music room that had been allocated to her this year. As she walked down the hallway, the first thing she noticed was the bunting covering her door and the hand drawn sign reading “Happy Birthday, Vanya!” In bold lettering. When she pushed the door open, she was greeted by Clara and Lachlan, from the art and drama departments respectively.

‘What’s all this?’ She asked gesturing at the door.

‘Since you didn’t tell us about your birthday last year, we figured we’d go all out this year!’ Clara grinned.

‘Within reason,’ Lachlan added. ‘Clara checked that this all wouldn’t be too much for you with your wifey before setting it up.’

Vanya smiled at her friends.

‘What? I didn’t want to overwhelm her and who better to ask than wifey?’ Clara rolled her eyes.

‘Can you stop calling her wifey, please!’ Vanya begged, though she knew it to be in vain, her friends were determined to call Sissy wifey for the rest of their lives.

‘Why? You two are basically married, it’s only a matter of time before one of you pops the question.’ Clara shrugged.

‘She’s not ready. She rushed into marriage once before, she’s going to need more time.’The “ _And she’s still got to wrap her head around the fact that we_ can _get married_ ” went unsaid; Vanya knew it would only confuse her friends.

Clara handed her a painting. ‘Sorry it’s not wrapped. I had some last-minute touches to add this morning. It’s of that forest you love, the one you take wifey and Harlan to every weekend!’

‘Thank you!’ Vanya replied, letting Clara pull her into a hug.

Lachlan handed her an envelope, eyeing her as she opened it. ’And from moi, two tickets for Phantom of the Opera for you and wifey, 24th October in Edinburgh, and a promise to babysit Harlan that weekend.’

‘Lachlan, holy shit! This is too much!’

‘Not really. My brother-in-law is on the show, I got these tickets at a discounted price.’ Lachlan shrugged.

Vanya jumped up to wrap her arms around him. ‘Thank you. This means a lot to me.’ She pulled back. ‘Though, I’m not sure I trust you to look after my son.’

‘Wha-? You drop a prop baby one time, and no one trusts you with their kids anymore.’ Lachlan flung his hands up in the air, lying down on the piano stool in the room with all the flair of a drama teacher.

‘Lach, it wasn’t just one time. And you stepped on it when you tripped over that Year 7 kid.’ Clara stated, nudging his shoulder with her knee, unimpressed. ‘I’ll keep an eye on them both, don’t you worry.’

\---

Vanya always cycled home when she had a full day of teaching, violin slung over her back. It took her forty-five minutes to get home, but she enjoyed the fresh air. On the days when she finished early, like today, she would pick Harlan up from school and take him to the park whilst they waited for Sissy to arrive. She finished up at half past two, walking the distance between Wallace High and the Raploch Campus in the rain, black umbrella slung over her shoulder.

She arrived just as Harlan’s class was let out, said hello to his teacher and let Harlan crash into her. He leaned into her side as she took his backpack from him. ‘Did you have a good day?’ She asked him, leading him to the coffee shop on campus.

The two of them sat quietly at a table in the window, hot drinks in front of them, letting the sound of the rain outside set a steady rhythm of background music. Harlan had his homework open in front of him, Vanya chipping in to help him with whatever he was struggling with.

Sissy texted Vanya that she was there just as they were finishing their drinks and they packed away their belongings, running out to the car and clambering in.

‘How overboard did Clara and Lachlan go?’ Sissy asked without any preamble, a wince crossing her face.

‘Not too bad,’ Vanya replied. ‘Every single one of my students commented on my door decorations. They’re convinced Clara and I are dating.’

Sissy laughed, ‘No clue where they’d get that idea from. What did you say?’

‘I said my girlfriend would be upset if I _were_ dating Clara. Not to mention _her_ girlfriend!’ Vanya smirked.

‘Ha! Abi still feels threatened by you, even though we’re not subtle about being together.’ Sissy reached over the console to run her thumb over Vanya’s knee.

‘Getting you back was the best part of being thirty.’ Vanya mused, taking Sissy’s hand.

Sissy quickly pressed a kiss to the back of Vanya’s hand as they waited for the traffic lights to turn green. ’I love you.’ She said lowly.

‘I love you too,’ Vanya murmured back.

\---

Sissy had ordered pizza for Vanya’s birthday dinner, presenting her girlfriend with a chocolate cake afterwards. (‘Your mum was very happy to send me the recipe for your favourite cake.’ Sissy had said anxiously, only to be accosted by a hug by Vanya.) The small family had sat back to watch a movie, happy to just exist in each other’s orbits.

Later that night, after Harlan had been tucked in, Vanya and Sissy finally had a moment to themselves. The two curled around each other on the sofa trading soft kisses and light-hearted jokes. Vanya never felt more loved than when she was held in Sissy’s arms, her girlfriend affectionately pressing kisses to whatever exposed skin she could reach. Every smile from Sissy, every laugh she elicited from her girlfriend, Vanya knew she had found her forever.

At eleven, Vanya’s laptop beeped, she’d finally get a chance to talk to her siblings.

When her screen filled with her siblings, her brothers all in one square and Allison in another.

‘Happy birthday!’ The six of them chorused, Klaus giggling.

‘How was everyone’s day?’ Vanya asked.

Her siblings responded in unison:

‘Pretty good.’ Luther.

‘Terrible.’ Five.

‘It could have been worse.’ Klaus.

‘Hmph.’ Diego

‘All of the above.’ Allison.

‘I have no idea how to unpack all of that…’ Vanya responded.

‘How was yours, Vanny?’ Klaus asked.

Vanya glanced at Sissy, recollecting the day she’d had. She let out a small smile and responded: ‘It was great.’

\---

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I wrote another poem, and yes, I wrote it out like I was actually quoting someone at the top of my fic... (And yes, I gave my pseudonym a surname...)
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> 
> Comments are welcome, I will always try to respond!
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> Vanya gets loads of photos/sketches with her in them because she should!
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> This is really random, but in my opinion, there are only two valid birthday songs: The Birthday Song from Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses and Birthday Bear from Bearville. You may ask me why, but I might just choose not to respond.
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> \---
> 
> \- Caedyro


End file.
